Servant: Season 2 - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Created by: Tony Basgallop
Directed by: Julia Ducournau, Ishana Night Shyamalan, M. Night Shyamalan, Lisa Brühlmann, Isabella Eklöf, Nimród Antal
Written by: Tony Basgallop, Nina Braddock, Ishana Night Shyamalan
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, Rupert Grint
Synopsis: Following a suspenseful finale, this second season takes a supernatural turn. As Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) returns to the brownstone and her true nature is revealed, a darker future for all lies ahead.
***** This review addresses SPOILERS from SEASON ONE *****
My love for M. Night Shyamalan's films is far from being a secret. From his jaw-dropping superhero trilogy (Unbreakable, Split, Glass) to classic movies that deeply impacted pop culture (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village), passing through his admittedly disastrous flicks (The Last Airbender, After Earth), Shyamalan's influence in the evolution of filmmaking is undeniable. So, when I first heard that he was involved in a psychological horror series created by Tony Basgallop, I knew I was going to put my eyes on it even before knowing what the show was really about. Servant's debut season (review here) is still to this date one of the best first seasons I've seen in a long, long time.
The incredibly suspenseful atmosphere and the extremely tense dialogues are the two key aspects that ultimately describe the mysteriously captivating first ten episodes. With dozens of unanswered questions, the season finale may have solved a few but raised many others, especially concerning Leanne and her crazy, supernatural (?) cult. For many viewers, spending too much time without having their theories debunked or fulfilled is a serious no-no... I couldn't feel more different about this type of structure. I sincerely enjoy being kept in the dark just so that I can be surprised at the shocking revelations that Servant unquestionably possesses.
Season two picks up from last season's finale and follows a less interesting story focused on finding Jericho after Leanne and her cult took him. The two fundamental attributes mentioned above are still present, but Leanne was their primary source. Nell Tiger Free continues to deliver a terrific performance, but she doesn't have as much screentime nor as many character interactions as in the previous season. During the first six/seven episodes, the series dives more into the characters themselves, which seems like the right step to take. However, not everyone receives fair treatment.
Sean (Toby Kebbell) was always shown to be the family's more rational and logical person. Still, with Jericho's disappearance, Sean enters a psychologically unhealthy path that's quite subtle and apparently inoffensive, but in some ways, dangerously similar to Dorothy's (Lauren Ambrose). Toby's character definitely gets the most engaging development (which undoubtedly contains a shocking, yet-to-be-revealed event), in addition to the actor's impeccable display.
Unfortunately, both Lauren's over-the-top performance and Dorothy's writing turn the emotional investment in the character quite difficult. The former constantly walks the thin line between "too much" and "still fine", but this season she delivers some hilariously bad lines of dialogue. Then, Jericho's mother maintains the mad levels at their maximum, which starts to genuinely get frustrating and a tad annoying, to be completely honest. Basically, it's a non-stop festival of cringe-worthy facial expressions and weird line deliveries. Julian tries to balance everything going on while drinking wine, which is strangely compelling, probably due to Rupert Grint's coolness. Leanne eventually shows up, but I don't want to get into her storyline too much.
Visually, the gruesome, hard-to-watch moments that characterize the show continue to exist. The previous season's brutal cooking scenes are replaced by gross injury treatments that will make most viewers instinctively remove their eyes from the screen. New writers and directors join the show (including Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of the famous filmmaker), and all bring excellent attributes to each episode while keeping the vital eerie tone and the well-established, consistently uneasy atmosphere. Trevor Gureckis' subtle score accompanies the story beautifully, positively influencing the viewers' enjoyment. Huge praise to the simple yet efficient production design as well as the camera work that allows the actors to shine by lingering a bit more than usual.
The last three episodes considerably elevate the levels of interest in the main narrative by joining together different subplots. There's a certain parallelism with season one's story, which can work as both a positive or negative aspect, depending on how the viewer feels about it. I really enjoy how everything is tied up in the end, giving a clearer vision of what Leanne and her cult are capable of, but I still feel like something is missing this season. In season one, every episode feels relevant, and the growing unanswered questions kept me excited for the next chapter. However, in season two, some episodes don't add anything significant to the story, becoming well-directed, atmospheric fillers.
Finally, in most cases, I genuinely prefer weekly episodes. This structure allows debates that can build upon the enthusiasm for the respective series, keeping the hype growing for the next episode. However, Servant works best as a show to binge everything in one go. The short episode runtimes don't offer much space to add something deeply impactful story-wise that could generate an entire week of conversation. This season focuses a lot on just one storyline: finding Jericho. I wish these episodes approached and developed Leanne's cult a bit more than what they did, but since the show is expected to run for six seasons, I understand that they need to save something for the next years.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Servant's sophomore season isn't quite as compelling, addictive, or even as mysterious as its debut, but it still possesses all of these traits. This season drives its main focus to the characters, offering them detailed development and letting the actors deeply explore their roles. The tense interactions and suspenseful environment are heavily present, but unfortunately, the main narrative simply isn't that emotionally investing until the last three episodes. Toby Kebbell demonstrates his underrated talent once again, Nell Tiger Free continues to be incredibly ominous, and Rupert Grint is an amazing comic relief. However, Lauren Ambrose crosses the over-the-top line too many times, delivering some genuinely poor displays, improving her performance only by the end of the season. Technically, the new directors and writers bring something unique to improve the show, but it's Trevor Gureckis' score that steals the spotlight. Hopefully, the remaining seasons won't disappoint, but (surprisingly) I firmly recommend to wait and binge everything in one sitting this time around… I leave my humble advice.
